3rdstorypage

6/3/2355 (Part II)

When I awoke the next morning I was in a warm, comfortable bed. The room I was in was very plain except for the exquisite quilt on my bed. There was a soft stream of light shining in throught the window beside my bed. The room felt very cozy.
I heard someone at the door. It was a little, old woman. She looked to be in her mid forties to early fifties. She was a small woman with very petite features. She wore a long, brown skirt and a dark green shirt. Over her outfit she had a cream colored apron that looked very tattered from wear. She carried a silver tray with a dish of food and a glass of water on it.
"I see you're up. How was your rest?" she asked. Her voice was soft and calming.
"Oh, it was very nice thank you." I replied politely.
"You sure were beat up when you came here. What happened to you? You looked like you'd been thrown from the sky."
"You could say that," I smirked.
"Well, I brought you some food and a glass of water. You must be hungry." She placed the tray on the little table next to my bed. "Let me look at you cuts while I'm in here." She smiled kindly at me. Her hair looked as though years ago it was a brilliant red color, like looking into the heart of fire. Now it looked tarnished and gray, but soft as it shown in the sun. She gingerly took off each bandage and replaced it with a clean one. Her hands were so steady and she was so calm. It was almost as if she had been a nurse at some point in her life. "All right there you go. Now you make sure to eat, eat, eat. There's planty more where that came from." With that she quietly exited the room and softly closed the door.
I was once again alone in the little room. I looked at the food that had been prepared for me. I ate it then looked at the cup of water. I was extremely thristy, but water isn't really my thing (as you know). Reluctantly Ii drank it anyway. After all I didn't want to insult my hosts in any way after all hey had done for me. After eating the food I found my self feeling tired again so I drifted into another sleep.
I woke up to the sounds of chirping crickets playing a sweet melody outside my window. Though the room I was in was very nice I felt the need to go outside. Quietly I walked to the bedroom door, down the hall, and out the front of the cabin. I found myself in one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen. There were trees all around. I could hear a stream in the distance as it ran over some stones in it's path. The stars where still just barely visible. I grew sad as I watched them twinkle in their last hour of glory. I missed my home.
I found an open area of graa behind the cabin and sat down. I began to think about the battle I had faught recently. I went over every moment and every move in my head, wondering what had made me so weak. What was it that made me faulter? Then I realized what it was. Fear. I was afraid to fight, not afraid of the battle, afraid of fighting...alone. I had never done it before. Tenjouno Kouken was always there to back me up. I immediatly knew i had to train harder so next time I wouldn't be afraid to fight. I quietly ran into the cabin and got my staff. I returned back to the open, grassy are and trained.
I must have been training for hours. It didn't seem like it was that long, but when I looked up I saw the sun. It was morning, just past dawn. The sun peeking above the horizon, shining its first fire-like rays upon the ground. Somehow this pushed me on. I trained more. The pain in my arm and back was almost unbareable, but it didn't matter. I had to destroy my fear.
I heard a crunching sound a few feet away. I looked at the woods around me. I heard it again. I figured it was probably some small woodland creature and continued to train. The noise continued getting louder and louder. It sounded as though it were coming in my direction. I stopped and stared into the woods. I saw a shadow and then the sun caught the creatures eye. They shown bright green peircing through the darkness of the woods. Just then it leaped out of the woods at me! It was huge and black. I started to think it was Karasu, but it couldn't be. I had defeated her already. What was this thing that had jumped on me? I threw it off and stood ready to fight. It was a black panther. Its fur shown in the light. It dug its sharp claws deep into the soft earth. When it looked as if it was about to attack me I heard a man's voice calling from near the cabin.
"Val! Valana!! Val, where are you?!" he shouted as he walked near the panther and me. "Va--oh there you are. What are you up to?" The panther walked up to the young man and rubbed against his leg while purring loudly.
"Don't take another step!" I shouted as I twirled my staff in front of me and in the air. I stopped in mid swing and winced in pain holding my arm.
"Relax. I was just lookin for Val so we could train together. You should be careful. You'll hurt you arm more than it already is," the man said as he stepped near me.
"I'm fine!" I snapped.
"Ya sure," he said. "Here sit down." He walked me to a near-by bench and sat me down. H eseemed like a very nice man and he was concerned for me very much. I decided I should give him a chance and appologize for the way I acted.
"I'm sorry I yelled at you. I'm just not used to getting all this attention from strangers I guess. I'm used to taking care of myself. I'm a little on edge too. So far I've been in a fight, attacked by your big, black cat, and now you scared the living d--"
"Attacked by Valana?" he inturrupted. Then he started to giggle. "She wasn't attacking you. She just wanted to play. She's used to training with me. She'd never hurt you. She's got to be one of the kindest and gentlest creatures I know."
"How did you meat her?" I asked as the panther let me pet her.
"I found her when I was little. I was about 5 or so I guess. I was walking around in the woods when I saw her. Sh ewas wondering around like me. She must have been pushed away from her family because she was runt. I picked her up and began to talk to her. Then when I put her down and started to walk home she followed me. I told her I supposed she could come along if she wanted. That was about 13 years ago. We've been together ever sense." He smiled and scratched the panther's head. She looked at him as if she has actually understood every word he had said. "I saw you practicing earlier this morning. You're really good."
"You saw me training?" I asked embarressed.
"You're not the only one that gets up early you know," he said as he winked. "How long have you been training?"
"Ever since I can remember. I don't know a time when I wasn't learning new moves and improving old ones. I'm still perfecting my technigue," I said.
"Who taught you?"
"I was learning from my best and only friend, but she's gone now." I looked at the ground and sighed,
"Oh, by the way, my name's Masuroa Onrysu."
"I'm Hiryuu."
He smiled, then said "Why don't I take you inside and give you something to take your mind off that arm OK?"
The three of us then got up and walked to the cabin.